Archive for the ‘Learning Made Easy’ Category

Little Giant Steps has embarked on an educational series for educators and parents who are seeking to raise the level of academic achievement and help their children really enjoy the learning process.  It can be a reality for anyone who will do the simple and consistent activities  included in the Neuro-Educational Program that embraces the Neurodevelopmental Approach. These programs will help increase neuro-efficiency.  (Which a high-flaluting way of saying building more and stronger connections that can carry information with lightening speed between the brain and body.) 

This webinar, which we are inviting you to view, takes on another part of better learning skills by increasing ones processing skills, which effects short term memory.  So, find some time over the weekend, click on this link and discover a way to truly unlock your and your child’s potential:  http://www.anymeeting.com/LGSED/EE58DF8383

HAPPY EASTER!

As we are given the gift of a child, there is much required to learn, know and grow along with this bundle of  joy. It used to be that families, even generations, stayed in the same vicinity and very naturally would hand down valuable lessons they learned not only from their own experiences, but also things that were gained through an ever-growing knowledge base as time went on.  Today families are dispersed and typically live distances away.  The act of passing along family knowledge in the area of childcare happens less and less, because parents and grandparents have much less time they are physically in the presence of their offspring. 

So, in light of what we’ve seen in our culture over the past two decades in the learning side of child development,  which we know as neuro-educational specialists, we want to share just a few very important items.  These are things that can really impact and change the academic life of your child for the better.  

 All babies look like complete packages when they arrive.  Even pre-mature infants look like they’re totally developed, but no human being arrives fully developed.  In fact, the pre-mature babies have different systems like breathing, etc. that must be carefully monitored until nature’s development process really kicks in and gets the lungs functioning as needed.  What is important about all babies is that they must begin to experience the world through their senses, regardless of how far along their developmental status is.  Developing their senses is a very primitive response in which the brain and body are, at first, just a ball of reflexes.  Reflexes that assist in their eating, breathing, movement and all those things that will help them become strong and purposeful.

Probably one of the most important things about an infant is that they need to feel pressure.  First they feel you holding them, the surfaces you lay them on, and as their bodily sensations develop they feel the internal pressure.  In fact we are very adamant about helping the tactility system become stable, because it effects the child globally.  Neuro-connections (body pathways) in the brain are actually being mapped during these early times and they are vital!  The brain discovers the arms, legs, vision, hearing, skin picks up sensations and causes firing in the brain, which helps the child begin to notice not only his own parts, but the world around him.  So the first most important thing we have to present to you is this:

“Have your baby on their tummy on the floor as much as every waking hour will allow.”  Not only will it help to map the brain, it will strengthen the neuro-musculature structures in the neck, shoulders,arms, trunk and back of the body, but will allow the legs, toes and fingers to register with the brain, as well.  The best thing you can do for your infant’s eyes is to allow them to lift their head, and focus on whatever is ahead of them (even if they can only see their hands).  Proper vision development and the tracking ability of the eyes have optimum conditions when they are on the floor and can push themselves up and look about.

People wonder why we say put them on the floor.  First of all, it’s a place where they can’t fall or get hurt.  Some of us worry about germs.  If you are concerned, then wash the spot where you put the child.  Don’t use a blanket, because it impedes their ability to move and they get all wound up in it. Just give them a place where they might feel hard, cold, warm, smooth, rough and other sensations that can be had on the floor.  The floor is an excellent track for them to begin moving from reflex and random movements to purposeful and very important developmental movements which literally effect the lower level brain organization.  It’s all in going from purposeful movement on into coordinated movement.  It is through these early developmental movement stages that the brain and body’s neurological efficiency is established.  Children who were never encouraged to push themselves around on the floor, then up into an army crawl, and finally fully up into a creeping synchronized pattern will not have set the stage for efficient learning, storing, recalling information with their brains.  We can’t express it enough… let your child crawl and creep as long as possible.  It’s good for the development of their brains and all the senses, not to mention the benefits in their learning abilities.

Sometimes the holiday season is so full of “busyness” we can easily overlook those within our family who are silently struggling and feeling alone.  We, at LGS, are very aware of those who try to communicate, solve problems, remember information and daily suffer minor failure of trying and never able to make things come out right. We have observed children, teens and adults who have struggled daily, and also know that when taken into account over a sustained period of time, has silenced them.  Many feel isolated and alone.

Little Giant Steps offers a promise of a better life experience when it comes to improving academics, short term memory, processing and comprehension of information. We’ve worked with thousands of children and families over the past two decades. We know that with intervention through our Neuro-Educational Programs and Professional Evaluations a new world of success and self-confidence can develop right before your eyes, regardless of age or I.Q. 

If you desire to see a change in your, your child’s or even your parent’s future, and want to know what it is like to no longer be alone in the forest of life, then please read our free articles  on our website. Investigate how those who made the decision to make their lives better have achieved greater success than they dreamed possible.

If you need information on specific areas, please click on these links:    Testing / Evaluations

1. Dyslexia    2. Pre-School School Readiness or Special Needs (Home Program)  

3.  Children Who Are Smart But Struggling (Home Program)

4.  Adult Memory & Brain Training (Home Program

We hope for a very Merry Christmas Season for you and those you love.

Each of us is born with tremendous potential.  A well functioning tactile system is imperative for receiving information and taking that potential to the next level, which will then be transmitted into producing intentional movement (crawling, walking, running, etc.).  Movement makes “memories” which causes the circuitry that releases intelligence.  There is tremendous brain growth in the early years and unless the brain cells are connected through neuropathways that are built early, they can be lost. It is a use it or lose it scenario.  Early development is like building a house, you have to have a good foundation in order for everything else to function properly.  The good news for an older individual is that even if these pathways are immature or incomplete, they can be rebuilt with proper stimulation. 

In recent decades, our society has become very mobile; with most families having two cars and the convenience of air travel, society as a whole is living farther and farther away from extended family members.  Neuro-educational specialists believe this separation from the extended family has caused many erroneous beliefs about child rearing to emerge.

 MYTH #1:  Babies should be on a blanket if placed on the floor. 

TRUTH:  As stated in an earlier newsletter, the tactile input to the brain would be limited by the blanket.  In addition to that, have you ever seen an infant try to crawl (tummy on floor) while lying on top of a blanket?  They just get all tangled up and frustrated because they can’t get anywhere.

 MYTH #2:  Infant seats are a necessity!  When an infant is sitting in an infant seat, they somehow seem more human; i.e., it is easier to see their faces and for them to see you and they seem happier. 

TRUTH:  The best place for an infant is on their tummy on the floor.  ON the floor in a prone position (on the tummy) is where they build the muscles for sitting alone and walking.

 MYTH #3:  Walkers are a great way to prepare the child for walking alone. 

TRUTH:  If a child does not go through the stages of tummy crawl and creeping on hands and knees for a long enough period of time, a ripple of adverse effects will occur.  Gross motor coordination, organizational abilities and eye-hand coordination are just a few of the areas that could be adversely affected.

 MYTH #4:  The more gadgets, i.e. Johnny jump ups, fancy walkers, play pens, etc., I put my child in the better. 

TRUTH:  The more time a child spends in these gadgets, the less time the child spends on the floor, which means less opportunity for the brain to be organized at the lower levels.  Lower level development is the foundation upon which all other development is built. 

 I encourage you to get your infants out of these gadgets and put them on the floor for lots of tummy time.  www.littlegiantsteps.com

It may surprise you that learning (receiving, comprehending, remembering, storing and recalling information) can be improved at any time and at any age.  The brain is not hard wired.  If you have suffered with learning difficulties, it’s time to take about five minutes out of your day and improve your learning abilities.  The great by-product of getting your brain and body to communicate efficiently, is that you (or your child) will discover what life is like without anxiety, frustration and feelings of doubt and failure on a daily basis.  Please read the free articles on our website.  Inform yourself, gain knowledge, then get busy with either helping your child or yourself learn what true potential can be.  It will take some time, but in 4 months of being on the Developmental Foundations Program, people are reporting fantastic results.

She has done phenomenally well at school.  I was going to email you all- she made a 94 on her Algebra end of course exam. Which sounds even better when you realize that her math teacher said it was harder than the TAKS and that it was brand new. They had not been able to prepare for it like the TAKS (it is the test that will replace the TAKS in a few years).  She made the highest grade out of all 9^th graders at her school (which is about 45-50 kids).  She also got commended on her TAKS English and will finish with  close to an A average in all subjects, I think.  So LGS worked for us!

Our son came up two years academically in 3 months after being on the Neuro-Educational Program. The biggest indicator of progress to me has been that he is reading for pleasure! His problems are quite minor compared to what many families are dealing with, we were just frustrated at the lack of progress in several areas and felt like we needed an outside viewpoint.  ~  Jenny M

Today I’d like you to meet Liz Sweet, Neuro-educational Specialist.  She has been a home-school mom who has invested her life in the service of others in conjunction with the ministry of her husband, Dana.  Liz’s journey with her daughter is one of watching a simple Neuro-Educational Program with Little Giant Steps bring into being the true potential of her daughter.

Watch Liz as she takes you through her experience.  Liz’s Story

My son was 15 yrs. old with a high IQ and STILL had not memorized his multiplication facts. He was capable of understanding abstract math concepts, but was bogged down figuring out each simple computation because he did not have them memorized.  We tried everything imaginable before Rapid Recall System was recommended to us. I had actually given up and did not expect Rapid Recall System to work either. Amazingly, it did work with just spending a few minutes each day! He now knows all of his multiplication facts.   LS, California

Here is a note from a teacher involved in a research program done in 2008-2009:

After using the neurodevelopmental approach in my classroom this past year, my students improved academically, gained strength physically and matured emotionally.  These students individually were able to complete sequences of tasks without promptings as well as staying focused on the task that was before them.  Other adults around them commented that their reasoning skills as well as their organizational skills were far above those of peers.  Unlike other first grade classrooms in my past 18 years of teaching and those around us not participating in the program, these students were more respectful of each other and worked together to accomplish tasks without arguments.  Students were successful, so both the students and teacher’s stress level came down.   Together, we were working “smarter”, not harder. 

RAPID RECALL SYSTEM

What a fantastic math facts system!  In 18 years of teaching, I have tried many ways to teach math facts but this system was by far the easiest to implement and I had better results with this system than anything else I have tried – all in just 7 minutes a day!   Even my lower-level students flourished and were successful under this system.

Tanda Trussell, First Grade Teacher

Plemons-Stinnett-Phillips CISD

Stinnett, TX